United States

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The United States of America (USA or U.S.A.), commonly referred to as the United
States (US or U.S.), America, and sometimes the States, is a federal republic[1
7][18] consisting of 50 states and a federal district. The 48 contiguous states
and Washington, D.C., are in central North America between Canada and Mexico. Th
e state of Alaska is the northwestern part of North America and the state of Haw
aii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also has five populated an
d nine unpopulated territories in the Pacific and the Caribbean. At 3.80 million
square miles (9.85 million km2)[4] and with around 318 million people, the Unit
ed States is the world's third- or fourth-largest country by total area and thir
d-largest by population. It is one of the world's most ethnically diverse and mu
lticultural nations, the product of large-scale immigration from many countries.
[19] The geography and climate of the United States is also extremely diverse, a
nd it is home to a wide variety of wildlife.
Paleo-Indians migrated from Eurasia to what is now the U.S. mainland around 15,0
00 years ago,[20] with European colonization beginning in the 16th century. The
United States emerged from 13 British colonies located along the Atlantic seaboa
rd. Disputes between Great Britain and these colonies led to the American Revolu
tion. On July 4, 1776, as the colonies were fighting Great Britain in the Americ
an Revolutionary War, delegates from the 13 colonies unanimously issued the Decl
aration of Independence. The war ended in 1783 with the recognition of independe
nce of the United States from the Kingdom of Great Britain, and was the first su
ccessful war of independence against a European colonial empire.[21][22] The cur
rent Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787. The first ten amendments, c
ollectively named the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and designed to guar
antee many fundamental civil rights and freedoms.
Driven by the doctrine of manifest destiny, the United States embarked on a vigo
rous expansion across North America throughout the 19th century.[23] This involv
ed displacing native tribes, acquiring new territories, and gradually admitting
new states.[23] The American Civil War ended legal slavery in the country.[24] B
y the end of the 19th century, the United States extended into the Pacific Ocean
,[25] and its economy began to soar.[26] The Spanish American War and World War I
confirmed the country's status as a global military power. The United States eme
rged from World War II as a global superpower, the first country to develop nucl
ear weapons, the only country to use them in warfare, and as a permanent member
of the United Nations Security Council. The end of the Cold War and the dissolut
ion of the Soviet Union left the United States as the sole superpower.[27]
The United States is a developed country and has the world's largest national ec
onomy.[6] The economy is fueled by an abundance of natural resources and high wo
rker productivity.[28] While the U.S. economy is considered post-industrial, it
continues to be one of the world's largest manufacturers.[29] The country accoun
ts for 37% of global military spending,[30] being the world's foremost economic
and military power, a prominent political and cultural force, and a leader in sc
ientific research and technological innovations.[31]
Contents
1 Etymology
2 History
2.1 Native American and European contact
2.2 Settlements
2.3 Independence and expansion
2.4 Civil War and Reconstruction Era
2.5 Industrialization
2.6 World War I, Great Depression, and World War II
2.7 Cold War and civil rights era
2.8 Contemporary history
3 Geography, climate, and environment

4 Demographics
4.1 Population
4.2 Language
4.3 Religion
4.4 Family structure
5 Government and politics
5.1 Political divisions
5.2 Parties and elections
5.3 Foreign relations
5.4 Government finance
5.4.1 National debt
6 Military
7 Crime and law enforcement
8 Economy
8.1 Income, poverty and wealth
9 Infrastructure
9.1 Transportation
9.2 Energy
10 Science and technology
11 Education
12 Health
13 Culture
13.1 Mass media
13.2 Cinema
13.3 Comics
13.4 Music
13.5 Literature, philosophy, and the arts
13.6 Food
13.7 Sports
14 See also
15 Notes
16 References
17 Bibliography
17.1 Website sources
18 External links
Etymology
See also: Names for United States citizens
In 1507, the German cartographer Martin Waldseemüller produced a world map on whic
h he named the lands of the Western Hemisphere "America" after the Italian explo
rer and cartographer Amerigo Vespucci (Latin: Americus Vespucius).[32] The first
documentary evidence of the phrase "United States of America" is from a letter
dated January 2, 1776, written by Stephen Moylan, Esq., George Washington's aide
-de-camp and Muster-Master General of the Continental Army. Addressed to Lt. Col
. Joseph Reed, Moylan expressed his wish to carry the "full and ample powers of
the United States of America" to Spain to assist in the revolutionary war effort
.[33]
The first publicly published evidence of the phrase "United States of America" w
as in an anonymously written essay in The Virginia Gazette newspaper in Williams
burg, Virginia, on April 6, 1776.[34][35] In June 1776, Thomas Jefferson include
d the phrase "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" in all capitalized letters in the headli
ne of his "original Rough draught" of the Declaration of Independence.[36][37] I
n the final Fourth of July version of the Declaration, the pertinent section of
the title was changed to read, "The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united
States of America".[38] In 1777 the Articles of Confederation announced, "The S
tile of this Confederacy shall be 'The United States of America'".[39]
The short form "United States" is also standard. Other common forms include the

"U.S.", the "U.S.A.", and "America". Colloquial names include the "U.S. of A." a
nd, internationally, the "States". "Columbia", a name popular in poetry and song
s of the late 1700s,[40] derives its origin from Christopher Columbus; it appear
s in the name "District of Columbia". In non-English languages, the name is freq
uently the translation of either the "United States" or "United States of Americ
a", and colloquially as "America". In addition, an abbreviation (e.g. USA) is so
metimes used.[41]
The phrase "United States" was originally treated as plural, a description of a
collection of independent states e.g., "the United States are" including in the Thir
teenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1865. It became
common to treat it as singular, a single unit e.g., "the United States is" after the
end of the Civil War. The singular form is now standard; the plural form is ret
ained in the idiom "these United States".[42] The difference has been described
as more significant than one of usage, but reflecting the difference between a c
ollection of states and a unit.[43]
The standard way to refer to a citizen of the United States is as an "American".
"United States", "American" and "U.S." are used to refer to the country adjecti
vally ("American values", "U.S. forces"). "American" is rarely used in English t
o refer to subjects not connected with the United States.[44]
History
Main articles: History of the United States and Timeline of United States histor
y
Native Americans meeting with Europeans, 1764
Native American and European contact
Further information: Pre-Columbian era and Colonial history of the United States
The first North American settlers migrated from Siberia by way of the Bering lan
d bridge approximately 15,000 or more years ago.[20][45][46] Some, such as the p
re-Columbian Mississippian culture, developed advanced agriculture, grand archit
ecture, and state-level societies. After European explorers and traders made the
first contacts, the native population declined due to various reasons, includin
g diseases such as smallpox and measles,[47][48] intermarriage,[49] and violence
.[50][51][52]
In the early days of colonization many settlers were subject to shortages of foo
d, disease and attacks from Native Americans. Native Americans were also often a
t war with neighboring tribes and allied with Europeans in their colonial wars.[
53] At the same time however many natives and settlers came to depend on each ot
her. Settlers traded for food and animal pelts, natives for guns, ammunition and
other European wares.[54] Natives taught many settlers where, when and how to c
ultivate corn, beans and squash in the frontier. European missionaries and other
s felt it was important to "civilize" the Indians and urged them to concentrate
on farming and ranching without depending on hunting and gathering.[55][56]
Settlements
Further information: European colonization of the Americas and 13 colonies
Signing of the Mayflower Compact, 1620
After Columbus' first voyage to the New World in 1492 other explorers and settle
ment followed into the Floridas and the American Southwest.[57][58] There were a
lso some French attempts to colonize the east coast, and later more successful s
ettlements along the Mississippi River. Successful English settlement on the eas
tern coast of North America began with the Virginia Colony in 1607 at Jamestown
and the Pilgrims' Plymouth Colony in 1620. Early experiments in communal living
failed until the introduction of private farm holdings.[59] Many settlers were d
issenting Christian groups who came seeking religious freedom. The continent's f
irst elected legislative assembly, Virginia's House of Burgesses created in 1619
, and the Mayflower Compact, signed by the Pilgrims before disembarking, establi
shed precedents for the pattern of representative self-government and constituti

onalism that would develop throughout the American colonies.[60][61]
Most settlers in every colony were small farmers, but other industries developed
. Cash crops included tobacco, rice and wheat. Extraction industries grew up in
furs, fishing and lumber. Manufacturers produced rum and ships, and by the late
colonial period Americans were producing one-seventh of the world's iron supply.
[62] Cities eventually dotted the coast to support local economies and serve as
trade hubs. English colonists were supplemented by waves of Scotch-Irish and oth
er groups. As coastal land grew more expensive freed indentured servants pushed
further west.[63] Slave cultivation of cash crops began with the Spanish in the
1500s, and was adopted by the English, but life expectancy was much higher in No
rth America because of less disease and better food and treatment, so the number
s of slaves grew rapidly.[64][65][66] Colonial society was largely divided over
the religious and moral implications of slavery and colonies passed acts for and
against the practice.[67][68] But by the turn of the 18th century, African slav
es were replacing indentured servants for cash crop labor, especially in souther
n regions.[69]
With the colonization of Georgia in 1732, the 13 colonies that would become the
United States of America were established.[70] All had local governments with el
ections open to most free men, with a growing devotion to the ancient rights of
Englishmen and a sense of self-government stimulating support for republicanism.
[71] With extremely high birth rates, low death rates, and steady settlement, th
e colonial population grew rapidly. Relatively small Native American populations
were eclipsed.[72] The Christian revivalist movement of the 1730s and 1740s kno
wn as the Great Awakening fueled interest in both religion and religious liberty
.
In the French and Indian War, British forces seized Canada from the French, but
the francophone population remained politically isolated from the southern colon
ies. Excluding the Native Americans, who were being conquered and displaced, tho
se 13 colonies had a population of over 2.1 million in 1770, about one-third tha
t of Britain. Despite continuing new arrivals, the rate of natural increase was
such that by the 1770s only a small minority of Americans had been born overseas
.[73] The colonies' distance from Britain had allowed the development of self-go
vernment, but their success motivated monarchs to periodically seek to reassert
royal authority.
Independence and expansion
The Declaration of Independence: the Committee of Five presenting their draft to
the Second Continental Congress in 1776
Further information: American Revolutionary War, United States Declaration of In
dependence and American Revolution
The American Revolutionary War was the first successful colonial war of independ
ence against a European power. Americans had developed an ideology of "republica
nism" that held government rested on the will of the people as expressed in thei
r local legislatures. They demanded their rights as Englishmen, no taxation witho
ut representation . The British insisted on administering the empire through Parli
ament, and the conflict escalated into war.[74] Following the passage of the Lee
Resolution, on July 2, 1776, which was the actual vote for independence, the Co
ngress adopted the Declaration of Independence, on July 4, which proclaimed, in
a long preamble, that humanity is created equal in their unalienable rights and
that those rights were not being protected by Great Britain, and finally declare
d, in the words of the resolution, that the 13 colonies were independent states
and had no allegiance to the British crown in the United States. The latter date
, July 4, 1776, is now celebrated annually as America's Independence Day. In 177
7, the Articles of Confederation established a weak government that operated unt
il 1789.[75]
Britain recognized the independence of the United States following their defeat

at Yorktown.[76] In the peace treaty of 1783, American sovereignty was recognize
d from the Atlantic coast west to the Mississippi River. Nationalists led the Ph
iladelphia Convention of 1787 in writing the United States Constitution, and it
was ratified in state conventions in 1788. The federal government was reorganize
d into three branches, on the principle of creating salutary checks and balances
, in 1789. George Washington, who had led the revolutionary army to victory, was
the first president elected under the new constitution. The Bill of Rights, for
bidding federal restriction of personal freedoms and guaranteeing a range of leg
al protections, was adopted in 1791.[77]
Although the federal government criminalized the international slave trade in 18
08, after 1820 cultivation of the highly profitable cotton crop exploded in the
Deep South, and along with it the slave population.[78][79][80] The Second Great
Awakening, beginning about 1800, converted millions to evangelical Protestantis
m. In the North it energized multiple social reform movements, including aboliti
onism;[81] in the South, Methodists and Baptists proselytized among slave popula
tions.[82]
Americans' eagerness to expand westward prompted a long series of Indian Wars.[8
3] The Louisiana Purchase of French-claimed territory in 1803 almost doubled the
nation's size.[84] The War of 1812, declared against Britain over various griev
ances and fought to a draw, strengthened U.S. nationalism.[85] A series of U.S.
military incursions into Florida led Spain to cede it and other Gulf Coast terri
tory in 1819.[86] Expansion was aided by steam power, when steamboats began trav
eling along America's large water systems, which were connected by new canals, s
uch as the Erie and the I&M; then, even faster railroads began their stretch acr
oss the nation's land.[87]
U.S. territorial acquisitions portions of each territory were granted statehood si
nce the 18th century.
From 1820 to 1850, Jacksonian democracy began a set of reforms which included wi
der male suffrage, and it led to the rise of the Second Party System of Democrat
s and Whigs as the dominant parties from 1828 to 1854. The Trail of Tears in the
1830s exemplified the Indian removal policy that moved Indians into the west to
their own reservations. The U.S. annexed the Republic of Texas in 1845 during a
period of expansionist Manifest Destiny.[88] The 1846 Oregon Treaty with Britai
n led to U.S. control of the present-day American Northwest.[89] Victory in the
Mexican-American War resulted in the 1848 Mexican Cession of California and much
of the present-day American Southwest.[90]
The California Gold Rush of 1848 49 spurred western migration and the creation of
additional western states.[91] After the American Civil War, new transcontinenta
l railways made relocation easier for settlers, expanded internal trade and incr
eased conflicts with Native Americans.[92] Over a half-century, the loss of the
buffalo was an existential blow to many Plains Indians cultures.[93] In 1869, a
new Peace Policy sought to protect Native-Americans from abuses, avoid further w
arfare, and secure their eventual U.S. citizenship.[94]
Civil War and Reconstruction Era
Further information: American Civil War and Reconstruction Era
Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the Civil War
From the beginning of the United States, inherent divisions over slavery between
the North and the South in American society ultimately led to the American Civi
l War.[95] Initially, states entering the Union alternated between slave and fre
e states, keeping a sectional balance in the Senate, while free states outstripp
ed slave states in population and in the House of Representatives. But with addi
tional western territory and more free-soil states, tensions between slave and f
ree states mounted with arguments over federalism and disposition of the territo
ries, whether and how to expand or restrict slavery.[96]

Following the 1860 election of Abraham Lincoln, the first president from the lar
gely anti-slavery Republican Party, conventions in thirteen states ultimately de
clared secession and formed the Confederate States of America, while the U.S. fe
deral government maintained secession was illegal.[96] The ensuing war was at fi
rst for Union, then after 1863 as casualties mounted and Lincoln delivered his E
mancipation Proclamation, a second war aim became abolition of slavery. The war
remains the deadliest military conflict in American history, resulting in the de
aths of approximately 618,000 soldiers as well as many civilians.[97]
Following the Union victory in 1865, three amendments to the U.S. Constitution p
rohibited slavery, made the nearly four million African Americans who had been s
laves[98] U.S. citizens, and promised them voting rights. The war and its resolu
tion led to a substantial increase in federal power[99] aimed at reintegrating a
nd rebuilding the Southern states while ensuring the rights of the newly freed s
laves.[100] But following the Reconstruction Era, throughout the South Jim Crow
laws soon effectively disenfranchised most blacks and some poor whites. Over the
subsequent decades, in both the north and south blacks and some whites faced sy
stemic discrimination, including racial segregation and occasional vigilante vio
lence, sparking national movements against these abuses.[100]
Industrialization
Further information: Labor history of the United States
Ellis Island, in New York City, was a major gateway for the massive influx of im
migration during the beginning of industrialization.
In the North, urbanization and an unprecedented influx of immigrants from Southe
rn and Eastern Europe supplied a surplus of labor for the country's industrializ
ation and transformed its culture.[101] National infrastructure including telegr
aph and transcontinental railroads spurred economic growth and greater settlemen
t and development of the American Old West. The later invention of electric ligh
ts and telephones would also impact communication and urban life.[102] The end o
f the Indian Wars further expanded acreage under mechanical cultivation, increas
ing surpluses for international markets. Mainland expansion was completed by the
Alaska Purchase from Russia in 1867. In 1898 the U.S. entered the world stage w
ith important sugar production and strategic facilities acquired in Hawaii. Puer
to Rico, Guam, and the Philippines were ceded by Spain in the same year, followi
ng the Spanish American War.
Rapid economic development at the end of the 19th century produced many prominen
t industrialists, and the U.S. economy became the world's largest. Dramatic chan
ges were accompanied by social unrest and the rise of populist, socialist, and a
narchist movements.[103] This period eventually ended with the beginning of the
Progressive Era, which saw significant reforms in many societal areas, including
women's suffrage, alcohol prohibition, regulation of consumer goods, greater an
titrust measures to ensure competition and attention to worker conditions.
World War I, Great Depression, and World War II
Further information: World War I, Great Depression and World War II
U.S. troops approaching Omaha Beach during World War II
The United States remained neutral at the outbreak of World War I in 1914, thoug
h by 1917, it joined the Allies, helping to turn the tide against the Central Po
wers. President Woodrow Wilson took a leading diplomatic role at the Paris Peace
Conference of 1919 and advocated strongly for the U.S. to join the League of Na
tions. However, the Senate refused to approve this, and did not ratify the Treat
y of Versailles that established the League of Nations.[104]
In 1920, the women's rights movement won passage of a constitutional amendment g
ranting women's suffrage.[105] The 1920s and 1930s saw the rise of radio for mas
s communication and the invention of early television.[106] The prosperity of th
e Roaring Twenties ended with the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the onset of the
Great Depression. After his election as president in 1932, Franklin D. Roosevel

t responded with the New Deal, which included the establishment of the Social Se
curity system.[107] The Great Migration of millions of African Americans out of
the American South began around WWI and extended through the 1960s;[108] whereas
, the Dust Bowl of the mid-1930s impoverished many farming communities and spurr
ed a new wave of western migration.[109]
The United States was at first effectively neutral during World War II's early s
tages but began supplying material to the Allies in March 1941 through the LendLease program. On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan launched a surprise atta
ck on Pearl Harbor, prompting the United States to join the Allies against the A
xis powers.[110] Though the nation lost more than 400,000 soldiers,[111] it emer
ged relatively undamaged from the war with even greater economic and military in
fluence.[112] Allied conferences at Bretton Woods and Yalta outlined a new syste
m of international organizations that placed the United States and Soviet Union
at the center of world affairs. As an Allied victory was won in Europe, a 1945 i
nternational conference held in San Francisco produced the United Nations Charte
r, which became active after the war.[113] The United States developed the first
nuclear weapons and used them on Japan; the Japanese surrendered on September 2
, ending World War II.[114]
Cold War and civil rights era
Main articles: History of the United States (1945 64), History of the United State
s (1964 80) and History of the United States (1980 91)
US President Ronald Reagan (left) and Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev
, meeting in Geneva in 1985
After World War II the United States and the Soviet Union jockeyed for power dur
ing what is known as the Cold War, driven by an ideological divide between capit
alism and communism. They dominated the military affairs of Europe, with the U.S
. and its NATO allies on one side and the USSR and its Warsaw Pact allies on the
other. The U.S. developed a policy of "containment" toward Soviet bloc expansio
n. While they engaged in proxy wars and developed powerful nuclear arsenals, the
two countries avoided direct military conflict. The U.S. often opposed Third Wo
rld left-wing movements that it viewed as Soviet-sponsored. American troops foug
ht Communist Chinese and North Korean forces in the Korean War of 1950 53. The Sov
iet Union's 1957 launch of the first artificial satellite and its 1961 launch of
the first manned spaceflight initiated a "Space Race" in which the United State
s became the first to land a man on the moon in 1969.[115] A proxy war was expan
ded in Southeast Asia with the Vietnam War.[fn 1]
At home, the U.S. experienced sustained economic expansion and a rapid growth of
its population and middle class. Construction of an interstate highway system t
ransformed the nation s infrastructure over the following decades. Millions moved
from farms and inner cities to large suburban housing developments.[122][123] A
growing civil rights movement used nonviolence to confront segregation and discr
imination, with Martin Luther King Jr. becoming a prominent leader and figurehea
d. A combination of court decisions and legislation, culminating in the Civil Ri
ghts Act of 1964, sought to end racial discrimination.[124][125][126] Meanwhile,
a counterculture movement grew which was fueled by opposition to the Vietnam wa
r, black nationalism, and the sexual revolution. The launch of a "War on Poverty
" expanded entitlement and welfare spending.[127]
The 1970s and early 1980s saw the onset of stagflation. After his election in 19
80, President Ronald Reagan responded to economic stagnation with free-market or
iented reforms. Following the collapse of détente, he abandoned "containment" and
initiated the more aggressive "rollback" strategy towards the USSR.[128][129][13
0][131][132] After a surge in female labor participation over the previous decad
e, by 1985 a majority of women age 16 and over were employed.[133] The late 1980
s brought a "thaw" in relations with the USSR, and its collapse in 1991 finally
ended the Cold War.[134][135][136][137]
Contemporary history

The former World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan on 9/11
One World Trade Center, built in its place
Main article: History of the United States (1991 present)
After the Cold War, the 1990s saw the longest economic expansion in modern U.S.
history, ending in 2001.[138] Originating in U.S. defense networks, the Internet
spread to international academic networks, and then to the public in the 1990s,
greatly impacting the global economy, society, and culture.[139] On September 1
1, 2001, Al-Qaeda terrorists struck the World Trade Center in New York City and
the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., killing nearly 3,000 people.[140] In respons
e the United States launched the War on Terror, which includes the ongoing war i
n Afghanistan and the 2003 11 Iraq War.[141][142] Barack Obama, the first AfricanAmerican,[143] and multiracial[144] president, was elected in 2008 amid the Grea
t Recession.[145]
Geography, climate, and environment
Main articles: Geography of the United States, Climate of the United States and
Environment of the United States
A composite satellite image of the contiguous United States and surrounding area
s
The land area of the contiguous United States is 2,959,064 square miles (7,663,9
41 km2). Alaska, separated from the contiguous United States by Canada, is the l
argest state at 663,268 square miles (1,717,856 km2). Hawaii, occupying an archi
pelago in the central Pacific, southwest of North America, is 10,931 square mile
s (28,311 km2) in area.[146]
The United States is the world's third or fourth largest nation by total area (l
and and water), ranking behind Russia and Canada and just above or below China.
The ranking varies depending on how two territories disputed by China and India
are counted and how the total size of the United States is measured: calculation
s range from 3,676,486 square miles (9,522,055 km2)[147] to 3,717,813 square mil
es (9,629,091 km2)[148] to 3,794,101 square miles (9,826,676 km2).[149] to 3,805
,927 square miles (9,857,306 km2).[4] Measured by only land area, the United Sta
tes is third in size behind Russia and China, just ahead of Canada.[150]
The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous
forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. The Appalachian Mountains divide
the eastern seaboard from the Great Lakes and the grasslands of the Midwest. Th
e Mississippi Missouri River, the world's fourth longest river system, runs mainly
north south through the heart of the country. The flat, fertile prairie of the Gr
eat Plains stretches to the west, interrupted by a highland region in the southe
ast.
The Rocky Mountains, at the western edge of the Great Plains, extend north to so
uth across the country, reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in
Colorado. Farther west are the rocky Great Basin and deserts such as the Chihuah
ua and Mojave. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges run close to the Pa
cific coast, both ranges reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m). T
he lowest and highest points in the continental United States are in the state o
f California, and only about 80 miles (130 km) apart. At 20,320 feet (6,194 m),
Alaska's Mount McKinley is the tallest peak in the country and in North America.
Active volcanoes are common throughout Alaska's Alexander and Aleutian Islands,
and Hawaii consists of volcanic islands. The supervolcano underlying Yellowston
e National Park in the Rockies is the continent's largest volcanic feature.[151]
The United States, with its large size and geographic variety, includes most cli
mate types. To the east of the 100th meridian, the climate ranges from humid con
tinental in the north to humid subtropical in the south. The southern tip of Flo
rida is tropical, as is Hawaii. The Great Plains west of the 100th meridian are
semi-arid. Much of the Western mountains are alpine. The climate is arid in the

Great Basin, desert in the Southwest, Mediterranean in coastal California, and o
ceanic in coastal Oregon and Washington and southern Alaska. Most of Alaska is s
ubarctic or polar. Extreme weather is not uncommon the states bordering the Gulf o
f Mexico are prone to hurricanes, and most of the world's tornadoes occur within
the country, mainly in the Midwest's Tornado Alley.[152]
The bald eagle has been the national bird of the United States since 1782.
The U.S. ecology is considered "megadiverse": about 17,000 species of vascular p
lants occur in the contiguous United States and Alaska, and over 1,800 species o
f flowering plants are found in Hawaii, few of which occur on the mainland.[153]
The United States is home to more than 400 mammal, 750 bird, and 500 reptile an
d amphibian species.[154] About 91,000 insect species have been described.[155]
The bald eagle is both the national bird and national animal of the United State
s, and is an enduring symbol of the country itself.[156]
There are 58 national parks and hundreds of other federally managed parks, fores
ts, and wilderness areas.[157] Altogether, the government owns 28.8% of the coun
try's land area.[158] Most of this is protected, though some is leased for oil a
nd gas drilling, mining, logging, or cattle ranching; 2.4% is used for military
purposes.[158][159][160]
Environmental issues have been on the national agenda since 1970. Environmental
controversies include debates on oil and nuclear energy, dealing with air and wa
ter pollution, the economic costs of protecting wildlife, logging and deforestat
ion,[161][162] and international responses to global warming.[163][164] Many fed
eral and state agencies are involved. The most prominent is the Environmental Pr
otection Agency (EPA), created by presidential order in 1970.[165] The idea of w
ilderness has shaped the management of public lands since 1964, with the Wildern
ess Act.[166] The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is intended to protect threaten
ed and endangered species and their habitats, which are monitored by the United
States Fish and Wildlife Service.
Demographics
Main articles: Demographics of the United States, Americans, List of U.S. states
by population density and List of United States cities by population
Population
Largest ancestry groups by county, 2000
Race/Ethnicity (2013)
By race:[167]
White 77.7%
African American
13.2%
Asian 5.3%
American Indian and Alaska Native
1.2%
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander
0.2%
Multiracial (2 or more)
2.4%
By ethnicity:[167]
Hispanic/Latino (of any race) 17.1%
Non-Hispanic/Latino (of any race)
82.9%
The Statue of Liberty in New York City is a symbol of both the U.S. and the idea
ls of freedom, democracy, and opportunity.[168]
The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the country's population now to be 319,174,000,
[5] The U.S. population almost quadrupled during the 20th century, from about 76
million in 1900.[169] The third most populous nation in the world, after China
and India, the United States is the only major industrialized nation in which la
rge population increases are projected.[170]
The United States has a very diverse population 31 ancestry groups have more than
one million members.[171] German Americans are the largest ethnic group (more th
an 50 million) - followed by Irish Americans (circa 35 million), Mexican America
ns (circa 31 million) and English Americans (circa 27 million).[172]

White Americans are the largest racial group; Black Americans are the nation's l
argest racial minority and third largest ancestry group.[171] Asian Americans ar
e the country's second largest racial minority; the three largest Asian American
ethnic groups are Chinese Americans, Filipino Americans, and Indian Americans.[
171]
The United States has a birth rate of 13 per 1,000, which is 35% below the world
average. Nevertheless, its population growth rate is positive at 0.9%, signific
antly higher than that of many developed nations.[173] In fiscal year 2012, over
one million immigrants (most of whom entered through family reunification) were
granted legal residence.[174] Mexico has been the leading source of new residen
ts since the 1965 Immigration Act. China, India, and the Philippines have been i
n the top four sending countries every year.[175][176] As of 2012, approximately
11.4 million residents are illegal immigrants.[177]
According to a survey conducted by the Williams Institute, nine million American
s, or roughly 3.5% of the adult population identify themselves as homosexual, bi
sexual, or transgender.[178] A 2012 Gallup poll also concluded that 3.5% of adul
t Americans identified as LGBT. The highest percentage came from the District of
Columbia (10%), while the lowest state was North Dakota at 1.7%.[179] In a 2013
survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 96.6% of Amer
icans identify as straight, while 1.6% identify as gay or lesbian, and 0.7% iden
tify as being bisexual.[180]
In 2010, the U.S. population included an estimated 5.2 million people with some
American Indian or Alaska Native ancestry (2.9 million exclusively of such ances
try) and 1.2 million with some native Hawaiian or Pacific island ancestry (0.5 m
illion exclusively).[181] The census counted more than 19 million people of "Som
e Other Race" who were "unable to identify with any" of its five official race c
ategories in 2010.[181]
The population growth of Hispanic and Latino Americans (the terms are officially
interchangeable) is a major demographic trend. The 50.5 million Americans of Hi
spanic descent[181] are identified as sharing a distinct "ethnicity" by the Cens
us Bureau; 64% of Hispanic Americans are of Mexican descent.[182] Between 2000 a
nd 2010, the country's Hispanic population increased 43% while the non-Hispanic
population rose just 4.9%.[183] Much of this growth is from immigration; in 2007
, 12.6% of the U.S. population was foreign-born, with 54% of that figure born in
Latin America.[184]
Fertility is also a factor; in 2010 the average Hispanic (of any race) woman gav
e birth to 2.35 children in her lifetime, compared to 1.97 for non-Hispanic blac
k women and 1.79 for non-Hispanic white women (both below the replacement rate o
f 2.1).[185] Minorities (as defined by the Census Bureau as all those beside non
-Hispanic, non-multiracial whites) constituted 36.3% of the population in 2010,[
186] and over 50% of children under age one,[187] and are projected to constitut
e the majority by 2042.[188] This contradicts the report by the National Vital S
tatistics Reports, based on the U.S. census data, which concludes that 54% (2,16
2,406 out of 3,999,386 in 2010) of births were non-Hispanic white.[185]
About 82% of Americans live in urban areas (including suburbs);[149] about half
of those reside in cities with populations over 50,000.[189] In 2008, 273 incorp
orated places had populations over 100,000, nine cities had more than one millio
n residents, and four global cities had over two million (New York City, Los Ang
eles, Chicago, and Houston).[190] There are 52 metropolitan areas with populatio
ns greater than one million.[191] Of the 50 fastest-growing metro areas, 47 are
in the West or South.[192] The metro areas of Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, and Phoe
nix all grew by more than a million people between 2000 and 2008.[191]
Leading population centers (see complete list)

view
talk
edit
Rank
Core city (cities)
Area Region[193]
New York City
New York City

Metro area population

Metropolitan Statistical

Los Angeles
Los Angeles
Chicago
Chicago
1
New York City 19,949,502
New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA MS
A
Mid-Atlantic
2
Los Angeles
13,131,431
Los Angeles Long Beach Santa Ana, CA MSA
West
3
Chicago
9,537,289
Chicago Joliet Naperville, IL IN WI MSA
Midwest
4
Dallas Fort Worth
6,810,913
Dallas Fort Worth Arlington, TX MSA
South
5
Houston
6,313,158
Houston The Woodlands-Sugar Land MSA
South
6
Philadelphia
6,034,678
Philadelphia Camden Wilmington, PA NJ DE MD MSA
Mid-Atlantic
7
Washington, D.C.
5,949,859
Washington, DC VA MD WV MSA
Mid-Atla
ntic
8
Miami 5,828,191
Miami Fort Lauderdale Pompano Beach, FL MSA
South
9
Atlanta
5,522,942
Atlanta Sandy Springs Marietta, GA MSA
South
10
Boston 4,684,299
Boston Cambridge Quincy, MA NH MSA
Northeast
11
San Francisco 4,516,276
San Francisco Oakland Fremont, CA MSA
West
12
Phoenix
4,398,762
Phoenix Mesa Glendale, AZ MSA West
13
San Bernardino-Riverside
4,380,878
San Bernandino Riverside Ont
ario, CA MSA
West
14
Detroit
4,294,983
Detroit Warren Livonia, MI MSA Midwest
15
Seattle
3,610,105
Seattle Tacoma Bellevue, WA MSA
West
16
Minneapolis St. Paul
3,459,146
Minneapolis St. Paul Bloomington, MN W
I MSA Midwest
17
San Diego
3,211,252
San Diego Carlsbad San Marcos, CA MSA
West
18
Tampa St. Petersburg
2,870,569
Tampa St. Petersburg Clearwater, FL
MSA
South
19
St. Louis
2,810,056
St. Louis St. Charles Farmington, MO IL MSA
Midwest
20
Baltimore
2,770,738
Baltimore Towson, MD MSA
Mid-Atlantic
based upon 2013 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau[194]
Language
Languages spoken at home by more than 1,000,000 persons in the U.S.
as of 2010[195] Language
Percent of
population
Number of
speakers
English
80%
233,780,338
Combined total of all languages

other than English
20%
57,048,617
Spanish
(excluding Puerto Rico and Spanish Creole)
12%
35,437,985
Chinese
(including Cantonese and Mandarin)
0.9%
2,567,779
Tagalog
0.5%
1,542,118
Vietnamese
0.4%
1,292,448
French 0.4%
1,288,833
Korean 0.4%
1,108,408
German 0.4%
1,107,869
Main article: Languages of the United States
See also: Language Spoken at Home and List of endangered languages in the United
States
English (American English) is the de facto national language. Although there is
no official language at the federal level, some laws such as U.S. naturalization r
equirements standardize English. In 2010, about 230 million, or 80% of the populat
ion aged five years and older, spoke only English at home. Spanish, spoken by 12
% of the population at home, is the second most common language and the most wid
ely taught second language.[196][197] Some Americans advocate making English the
country's official language, as it is in 28 states.[9]
Both Hawaiian and English are official languages in Hawaii, by state law.[198] W
hile neither has an official language, New Mexico has laws providing for the use
of both English and Spanish, as Louisiana does for English and French.[199] Oth
er states, such as California, mandate the publication of Spanish versions of ce
rtain government documents including court forms.[200] Many jurisdictions with l
arge numbers of non-English speakers produce government materials, especially vo
ting information, in the most commonly spoken languages in those jurisdictions.
Several insular territories grant official recognition to their native languages
, along with English: Samoan[201] and Chamorro[202] are recognized by American S
amoa and Guam, respectively; Carolinian and Chamorro are recognized by the North
ern Mariana Islands;[203] Cherokee is officially recognized by the Cherokee Nati
on within the Cherokee tribal jurisdiction area in eastern Oklahoma;[204] Spanis
h is an official language of Puerto Rico and is more widely spoken than English
there.[205]
Religion
Main article: Religion in the United States
See also: History of religion in the United States, Freedom of religion in the U
nited States, Separation of church and state in the United States and List of re
ligious movements that began in the United States
Religious affiliation in the U.S. (2007)[206] Affiliation
% of U.S. popula
tion
Christian
78.5
Evangelical Protestant 26.3
Catholic

23.9

Mainline Protestant

18.1

Black Protestant

6.9

Mormon 1.7
Other Christian
Judaism

1.6
1.7

Buddhism
Islam

0.7

0.6

Hinduism

0.4

Other faith

1.2

Unaffiliated

16.1

Don't know/refused answer
Total

0.8

100

The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the free exercise of rel
igion and forbids Congress from passing laws respecting its establishment. Chris
tianity is by far the most common religion practiced in the U.S., but other reli
gions are followed, too. In a 2013 survey, 56% of Americans said that religion p
layed a "very important role in their lives", a far higher figure than that of a
ny other wealthy nation.[207] In a 2009 Gallup poll 42% of Americans said that t
hey attended church weekly or almost weekly; the figures ranged from a low of 23
% in Vermont to a high of 63% in Mississippi.[208] As with other Western countri
es, the U.S. is becoming less religious. Irreligion is growing rapidly among Ame
ricans under 30.[209] Polls show that overall American confidence in organized r
eligion is declining,[210] and that younger Americans in particular are becoming
increasingly irreligious.[211]
According to a 2014 survey, 78.5% of adults identified themselves as Christian,[
212] Protestant denominations accounted for 51.3%, while Roman Catholicism, at 2
3.9%, was the largest individual denomination.[213] The total reporting non-Chri
stian religions in 2012 was 4.9%, up from 4% in 2007.[213] Other religions inclu
de Judaism (1.7%), Buddhism (0.7%), Islam (0.6%), Hinduism (0.4%), and Unitarian
Universalism (0.3%).[213] The survey also reported that 16.1% of Americans desc
ribed themselves as agnostic, atheist or simply having no religion, up from 8.2%
in 1990.[213][214][215] There are also Baha'i, Sikh, Jain, Shinto, Confucian, T
aoist, Druid, Native American, Wiccan, humanist and deist communities.[216]
Protestantism is the largest Christian religious grouping in the United States.
Baptists collectively form the largest branch of Protestantism, and the Southern
Baptist Convention is the largest individual Protestant denomination. About 26
percent of Americans identify as Evangelical Protestants, while 18 percent are M
ainline and 7 percent belong to a traditionally Black church. Roman Catholicism
in the United States has its origin in the Spanish and French colonization of th
e Americas, and later grew due to Irish, Italian, Polish, German and Hispanic im
migration. Rhode Island is the only state where a majority of the population is
Catholic. Lutheranism in the U.S. has its origin in immigration from Northern Eu
rope. North and South Dakota are the only states in which a plurality of the pop
ulation is Lutheran. Utah is the only state where Mormonism is the religion of t
he majority of the population. The Mormon Corridor also extends to parts of Idah
o, Nevada and Wyoming.
The Bible Belt is an informal term for a region in the Southern United States in
which socially conservative Evangelical Protestantism is a significant part of
the culture and Christian church attendance across the denominations is generall
y higher than the nation's average. By contrast, religion plays the least import
ant role in New England and in the Western United States.[208]
Family structure
Main article: Family structure in the United States
See also: Anti-miscegenation laws in the United States, Same-sex marriage in the

United States and Cousin marriage in the United States
In 2007, 58% of Americans age 18 and over were married, 6% were widowed, 10% wer
e divorced, and 25% had never been married.[217] Women now work mostly outside t
he home and receive a majority of bachelor's degrees.[218]
The U.S. teenage pregnancy rate, 79.8 per 1,000 women, is the highest among OECD
nations.[219] Between 2007 and 2010, the highest teenage birth rate was in Miss
issippi, and the lowest in New Hampshire.[220] Abortion is legal throughout the
U.S., owing to Roe v. Wade, a 1973 landmark decision by the United States Suprem
e Court. While the abortion rate is falling, the abortion ratio of 241 per 1,000
live births and abortion rate of 15 per 1,000 women aged 15 44 remain higher than
those of most Western nations.[221] In 2011, the average age at first birth was
25.6 and 40.7% of births were to unmarried women.[222] The total fertility rate
(TFR) was estimated for 2013 at 1.86 births per woman.[223] Adoption in the Uni
ted States is common and relatively easy from a legal point of view (compared to
other Western countries).[224] In 2001, with over 127,000 adoptions, the U.S. a
ccounted for nearly half of the total number of adoptions worldwide.[225] The le
gal status of same-sex couples adopting varies by jurisdiction. Polygamy is ille
gal throughout the U.S.[226]
Government and politics
Main articles: Federal government of the United States, State governments of the
United States, Local government in the United States and Elections in the Unite
d States
U.S. Capitol,
where Congress meets:
the Senate, left; the House, right
The White House, home of the U.S. President
Supreme Court Building, where the nation's highest court sits
The United States is the world's oldest surviving federation. It is a constituti
onal republic and representative democracy, "in which majority rule is tempered
by minority rights protected by law".[227] The government is regulated by a syst
em of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Constitution, which serves as the
country's supreme legal document.[228] For 2013, the U.S. ranked 19th on the Dem
ocracy Index[229] and 19th on the Corruption Perceptions Index.[230]
In the American federalist system, citizens are usually subject to three levels
of government: federal, state, and local. The local government's duties are comm
only split between county and municipal governments. In almost all cases, execut
ive and legislative officials are elected by a plurality vote of citizens by dis
trict. There is no proportional representation at the federal level, and it is v
ery rare at lower levels.[231]
Political system of the United States
The federal government is composed of three branches:
Legislative: The bicameral Congress, made up of the Senate and the House of
Representatives, makes federal law, declares war, approves treaties, has the pow
er of the purse,[232] and has the power of impeachment, by which it can remove s
itting members of the government.[233]
Executive: The president is the commander-in-chief of the military, can veto
legislative bills before they become law (subject to Congressional override), a
nd appoints the members of the Cabinet (subject to Senate approval) and other of
ficers, who administer and enforce federal laws and policies.[234]
Judicial: The Supreme Court and lower federal courts, whose judges are appoi
nted by the president with Senate approval, interpret laws and overturn those th
ey find unconstitutional.[235]
The House of Representatives has 435 voting members, each representing a congres

sional district for a two-year term. House seats are apportioned among the state
s by population every tenth year. At the 2010 census, seven states had the minim
um of one representative, while California, the most populous state, had 53.[236
]
The Senate has 100 members with each state having two senators, elected at-large
to six-year terms; one third of Senate seats are up for election every other ye
ar. The president serves a four-year term and may be elected to the office no mo
re than twice. The president is not elected by direct vote, but by an indirect e
lectoral college system in which the determining votes are apportioned to the st
ates and the District of Columbia.[237] The Supreme Court, led by the Chief Just
ice of the United States, has nine members, who serve for life.[238]
The state governments are structured in roughly similar fashion; Nebraska unique
ly has a unicameral legislature.[239] The governor (chief executive) of each sta
te is directly elected. Some state judges and cabinet officers are appointed by
the governors of the respective states, while others are elected by popular vote
.
The original text of the Constitution establishes the structure and responsibili
ties of the federal government and its relationship with the individual states.
Article One protects the right to the "great writ" of habeas corpus. The Constit
ution has been amended 27 times;[240] the first ten amendments, which make up th
e Bill of Rights, and the Fourteenth Amendment form the central basis of America
ns' individual rights. All laws and governmental procedures are subject to judic
ial review and any law ruled by the courts to be in violation of the Constitutio
n is voided. The principle of judicial review, not explicitly mentioned in the C
onstitution, was established by the Supreme Court in Marbury v. Madison (1803)[2
41] in a decision handed down by Chief Justice John Marshall.[242]
Political divisions
Main articles: Political divisions of the United States, U.S. state, Territories
of the United States and List of states and territories of the United States
Further information: Territorial evolution of the United States and United State
s territorial acquisitions
The United States is a federal union of 50 states. The original 13 states were t
he successors of the 13 colonies that rebelled against British rule. Early in th
e country's history, three new states were organized on territory separated from
the claims of the existing states: Kentucky from Virginia; Tennessee from North
Carolina; and Maine from Massachusetts. Most of the other states have been carv
ed from territories obtained through war or purchase by the U.S. government. One
set of exceptions includes Vermont, Texas, and Hawaii: each was a well-establis
hed independent republic before joining the union. During the American Civil War
, West Virginia broke away from Virginia. The most recent state Hawaii achieved stat
ehood on August 21, 1959.[243] The states do not have the right to unilaterally
secede from the union.[244]
The states compose the vast bulk of the U.S. land mass. The District of Columbia
is a federal district which contains the capital of the United States, Washingt
on D.C. The United States also possesses five major overseas territories: Puerto
Rico and the United States Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; and American Samoa,
Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands in the Pacific.[245] Those born in the m
ajor territories are birthright U.S. citizens except Samoans. Samoans born in Am
erican Samoa are born U.S. nationals, and may become naturalized citizens.[246]
American citizens residing in the territories have fundamental constitutional pr
otections and elective self-government, with a territorial Member of Congress, b
ut they do not vote for president as states. Territories have personal and busin
ess tax regimes different from that of states.[247]
The United States also observes tribal sovereignty of the Native Nations. Though

reservations are within state borders, the reservation is a sovereign entity. W
hile the United States recognizes this sovereignty, other countries may not.[248
]
Map of USA with state names 2.svg
About this image
[show]
Statehood
Parties and elections
Main articles: Politics of the United States and Political ideologies in the Uni
ted States
(from left to right) House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Minority Leader Na
ncy Pelosi, House Speaker John Boehner, President Barack Obama, Senate Majority
Leader Harry Reid, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at the White House
in 2011
The United States has operated under a two-party system for most of its history.
[249] For elective offices at most levels, state-administered primary elections
choose the major party nominees for subsequent general elections. Since the gene
ral election of 1856, the major parties have been the Democratic Party, founded
in 1824, and the Republican Party, founded in 1854. Since the Civil War, only on
e third-party presidential candidate former president Theodore Roosevelt, running
as a Progressive in 1912 has won as much as 20% of the popular vote. The third-lar
gest political party is the Libertarian Party. The President and Vice-president
are elected through the Electoral College system.
Within American political culture, the Republican Party is considered center-rig
ht or conservative and the Democratic Party is considered center-left or liberal
.[250] The states of the Northeast and West Coast and some of the Great Lakes st
ates, known as "blue states", are relatively liberal. The "red states" of the So
uth and parts of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains are relatively conservativ
e.
The winner of the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, Democrat Barack Obama, i
s the 44th U.S. president.
In the 113th United States Congress, the House of Representatives is controlled
by the Republican Party, while the Democratic Party has control of the Senate. T
he Senate currently consists of 53 Democrats, two independents who caucus with t
he Democrats, and 45 Republicans; the House consists of 233 Republicans and 199
Democrats, with three vacancies.[251] There are 29 Republican and 21 Democratic
state governors.[252]
Since the founding of the United States until the 2000s, the country's governanc
e has been primarily dominated by White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs). However
, the situation has changed recently and of the top 17 positions (four national
candidates of the two major party in the 2012 U.S. presidential election, four l
eaders in 112th United States Congress, and nine Supreme Court Justices) there i
s only one WASP.[253][254][255]
The United Nations Headquarters has been situated in Midtown Manhattan since 195
2.
Foreign relations
Main articles: Foreign relations of the United States and Foreign policy of the
United States
See also: Covert United States foreign regime change actions
The United States has an established structure of foreign relations. It is a per
manent member of the United Nations Security Council, and New York City is home
to the United Nations Headquarters. It is a member of the G7,[256] G20, and Orga

nisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Almost all countries have em
bassies in Washington, D.C., and many have consulates around the country. Likewi
se, nearly all nations host American diplomatic missions. However, Cuba, Iran, N
orth Korea, Bhutan, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) do not have formal diplom
atic relations with the United States (although the U.S. still supplies Taiwan w
ith military equipment).[257]
The United States has a "special relationship" with the United Kingdom[258] and
strong ties with Canada,[259] Australia,[260] New Zealand,[261] the Philippines,
[262] Japan,[263] South Korea,[264] Israel,[265] and several EU countries, inclu
ding France, Italy, Germany, and Spain. It works closely with fellow NATO member
s on military and security issues and with its neighbors through the Organizatio
n of American States and free trade agreements such as the trilateral North Amer
ican Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico. In 2008, the United States spe
nt a net $25.4 billion on official development assistance, the most in the world
. As a share of America's large gross national income (GNI), however, the U.S. c
ontribution of 0.18% ranked last among 22 donor states. By contrast, private ove
rseas giving by Americans is relatively generous.[266]
The U.S. exercises full international defense authority and responsibility for t
hree sovereign nations through Compact of Free Association with Micronesia, the
Marshall Islands and Palau, all of which are Pacific island nations which were p
art of the U.S.-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands beginning af
ter World War II, and gained independence in subsequent years.[267]
Government finance
See also: Taxation in the United States and United States federal budget
Taxes are levied in the United States at the federal, state and local government
level. These include taxes on income, payroll, property, sales, imports, estate
s and gifts, as well as various fees. In 2010 taxes collected by federal, state
and municipal governments amounted to 24.8% of GDP.[268] During FY2012, the fede
ral government collected approximately $2.45 trillion in tax revenue, up $147 bi
llion or 6% versus FY2011 revenues of $2.30 trillion. Primary receipt categories
included individual income taxes ($1,132B or 47%), Social Security/Social Insur
ance taxes ($845B or 35%), and corporate taxes ($242B or 10%).[269]
U.S. taxation is generally progressive, especially the federal income taxes, and
is among the most progressive in the developed world,[270][271][272][273][274]
but the incidence of corporate income tax has been a matter of considerable ongo
ing controversy for decades.[275][276][277][278] In 2009 the top 10% of earners,
with 36% of the nation's income, paid 78.2% of the federal personal income tax
burden, while the bottom 40% had a negative liability.[273] However, payroll tax
es for Social Security are a flat regressive tax, with no tax charged on income
above $113,700 and no tax at all paid on unearned income from things such as sto
cks and capital gains.[279][280] The historic reasoning for the regressive natur
e of the payroll tax is that entitlement programs have not been viewed as welfar
e transfers.[281][282] The top 10% paid 51.8% of total federal taxes in 2009, an
d the top 1%, with 13.4% of pre-tax national income, paid 22.3% of federal taxes
.[273] In 2013 the Tax Policy Center projected total federal effective tax rates
of 35.5% for the top 1%, 27.2% for the top quintile, 13.8% for the middle quint
ile, and -2.7% for the bottom quintile.[283][284] State and local taxes vary wid
ely, but are generally less progressive than federal taxes as they rely heavily
on broadly borne regressive sales and property taxes that yield less volatile re
venue streams, though their consideration does not eliminate the progressive nat
ure of overall taxation.[271][285]
During FY 2012, the federal government
basis, down $60 billion or 1.7% vs. FY
tegories of FY 2012 spending included:
ding), Social Security ($768B or 22%),

spent $3.54 trillion on a budget or cash
2011 spending of $3.60 trillion. Major ca
Medicare & Medicaid ($802B or 23% of spen
Defense Department ($670B or 19%), non-de

fense discretionary ($615B or 17%), other mandatory ($461B or 13%) and interest
($223B or 6%).[269]
National debt
US federal debt held by the public as a percentage of GDP, from 1790 to 2013
Main article: National debt of the United States
The total national debt in the United States was $18.527 trillion (106% of the G
DP), according to an estimate for 2014 by the International Monetary Fund.[286]
In May 2014, U.S. federal government debt held by the public was approximately $
12.495 trillion, or about 75% of U.S. GDP. Intra-governmental holdings stood at
$5 trillion, giving a combined total debt of $17.494 trillion.[287][288] By 2012
, total federal debt had surpassed 100% of U.S. GDP.[289] The U.S. has a credit
rating of AA+ from Standard & Poor's, AAA from Fitch, and Aaa from Moody's.[290]
Historically, the U.S. public debt as a share of GDP increased during wars and r
ecessions, and subsequently declined. For example, debt held by the public as a
share of GDP peaked just after World War II (113% of GDP in 1945), but then fell
over the following 30 years. In recent decades, large budget deficits and the r
esulting increases in debt have led to concern about the long-term sustainabilit
y of the federal government's fiscal policies.[291] However, these concerns are
not universally shared.[292]
Military
Main article: United States Armed Forces
The carrier strike groups of the Kitty Hawk, Ronald Reagan, and Abraham Lincoln
with aircraft from the Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force.
Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Ariz. (Feb.4, 2004)
The president holds the title of commander-in-chief of the nation's armed forces
and appoints its leaders, the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staf
f. The United States Department of Defense administers the armed forces, includi
ng the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. The Coast Guard is run by the De
partment of Homeland Security in peacetime and by the Department of the Navy dur
ing times of war. In 2008, the armed forces had 1.4 million personnel on active
duty. The Reserves and National Guard brought the total number of troops to 2.3
million. The Department of Defense also employed about 700,000 civilians, not in
cluding contractors.[293]
Military service is voluntary, though conscription may occur in wartime through
the Selective Service System.[294] American forces can be rapidly deployed by th
e Air Force's large fleet of transport aircraft, the Navy's 10 active aircraft c
arriers, and Marine Expeditionary Units at sea with the Navy's Atlantic and Paci
fic fleets. The military operates 865 bases and facilities abroad,[295] and main
tains deployments greater than 100 active duty personnel in 25 foreign countries
.[296] The extent of this global military presence has prompted some scholars to
describe the United States as maintaining an "empire of bases".[297]
The military budget of the United States in 2011 was more than $700 billion, 41%
of global military spending and equal to the next 14 largest national military
expenditures combined. At 4.7% of GDP, the rate was the second-highest among the
top 15 military spenders, after Saudi Arabia.[298] U.S. defense spending as a p
ercentage of GDP ranked 23rd globally in 2012 according to the CIA.[299] Defense
's share of U.S. spending has generally declined in recent decades, from Cold Wa
r peaks of 14.2% of GDP in 1953 and 69.5% of federal outlays in 1954 to 4.7% of
GDP and 18.8% of federal outlays in 2011.[300]
The proposed base Department of Defense budget for 2012, $553 billion, was a 4.2
% increase over 2011; an additional $118 billion was proposed for the military c
ampaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.[301] The last American troops serving in Iraq
departed in December 2011;[302] 4,484 service members were killed during the Ira
q War.[303] Approximately 90,000 U.S. troops were serving in Afghanistan in Apri

l 2012;[304] by November 8, 2013 2,285 had been killed during the War in Afghani
stan.[305]
Crime and law enforcement
Main articles: Law enforcement in the United States and Crime in the United Stat
es
See also: Law of the United States, Capital punishment in the United States, Sec
ond Amendment to the United States Constitution and Human rights in the United S
tates § Justice system
Law enforcement in the U.S. is maintained primarily by local police departments.
The New York City Police Department (NYPD) is the largest in the country.[306]
Law enforcement in the United States is primarily the responsibility of local po
lice and sheriff's departments, with state police providing broader services. Fe
deral agencies such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Ma
rshals Service have specialized duties.[307] At the federal level and in almost
every state, jurisprudence operates on a common law system. State courts conduct
most criminal trials; federal courts handle certain designated crimes as well a
s certain appeals from the state criminal courts. Plea bargaining in the United
States is very common; the vast majority of criminal cases in the country are se
ttled by plea bargain rather than jury trial.[308][309]
In 2012 there were 4.7 murders per 100,000 persons in the United States, a 54% d
ecline from the modern peak of 10.2 in 1980.[310][311][312] Among developed nati
ons, the United States has above-average levels of violent crime and particularl
y high levels of gun violence and homicide.[313] A cross-sectional analysis of t
he World Health Organization Mortality Database from 2003 showed that United Sta
tes "homicide rates were 6.9 times higher than rates in the other high-income co
untries, driven by firearm homicide rates that were 19.5 times higher."[314] Gun
ownership rights continue to be the subject of contentious political debate. Th
e FBI's Uniform Crime Reports estimates that there were 3,246 violent and proper
ty crimes per 100,000 residents in 2012, for a total of over 9 million total cri
mes.[315]
Capital punishment is sanctioned in the United States for certain federal and mi
litary crimes, and used in 32 states.[316] No executions took place from 1967 to
1977, owing in part to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling striking down arbitrary impo
sition of the death penalty. In 1976, that Court ruled that, under appropriate c
ircumstances, capital punishment may constitutionally be imposed. Since the deci
sion there have been more than 1,300 executions, a majority of these taking plac
e in three states: Texas, Virginia, and Oklahoma.[317] Meanwhile, several states
have either abolished or struck down death penalty laws. In 2010, the country h
ad the fifth highest number of executions in the world, following China, Iran, N
orth Korea, and Yemen.[318]
The United States has the highest documented incarceration rate and total prison
population in the world.[319][320][321][322] At the start of 2008, more than 2.
3 million people were incarcerated, more than one in every 100 adults.[323] The
prison population has quadrupled since 1980.[324] African-American males are jai
led at about six times the rate of white males and three times the rate of Hispa
nic males.[325] The country's high rate of incarceration is largely due to chang
es in sentencing guidelines and drug policies.[326] In 2008, Louisiana had the h
ighest incarceration rate, and Maine the lowest.[327] In 2012, Louisiana had the
highest rate of murder and non-negligent manslaughter in the U.S., and New Hamp
shire the lowest.[328]
Economy
Main article: Economy of the United States
Economic Indicators
Nominal GDP
$17.555 trillion (Q3 2014)
[329]
Real GDP growth
3.9% (Q3 2014, annualized)
2.2% (2013)
[330]

CPI inflation 2.1% (May 2014)
[331]
Employment-to-population ratio 58.9% (May 2014)
[332]
Unemployment
5.8% (October 2014)
[333]
Labor force participation rate 62.8% (October 2014)
[334]
Total public debt
$17.5 trillion (Q2 2014)
[335]
Household net worth
$81.8 trillion (Q1 2014)
[336]
United States export treemap (2011): The U.S. is the world's second-largest expo
rter.
The United States has a capitalist mixed economy which is fueled by abundant nat
ural resources and high productivity.[337] According to the International Moneta
ry Fund, the U.S. GDP of $16.8 trillion constitutes 24% of the gross world produ
ct at market exchange rates and over 19% of the gross world product at purchasin
g power parity (PPP).[6] Its national GDP was about 5% larger at PPP in 2014 tha
n the European Union's, whose population is around 62% higher.[338] However, the
US's nominal GDP is estimated to be $17.528 trillion as of 2014, which is about
5% smaller than that of the European Union.[339] From 1983 to 2008, U.S. real c
ompounded annual GDP growth was 3.3%, compared to a 2.3% weighted average for th
e rest of the G7.[340] The country ranks ninth in the world in nominal GDP per c
apita and sixth in GDP per capita at PPP.[6] The U.S. dollar is the world's prim
ary reserve currency.[341]
The United States is the largest importer of goods and second largest exporter,
though exports per capita are relatively low. In 2010, the total U.S. trade defi
cit was $635 billion.[342] Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are its top
trading partners.[343] In 2010, oil was the largest import commodity, while tra
nsportation equipment was the country's largest export.[342] China is the larges
t foreign holder of U.S. public debt.[344] The largest holder of the U.S. debt a
re American entities, including federal government accounts and the Federal Rese
rve, who hold the majority of the debt.[345][346][347][348]
In 2009, the private sector was estimated to constitute 86.4% of the economy, wi
th federal government activity accounting for 4.3% and state and local governmen
t activity (including federal transfers) the remaining 9.3%.[349] While its econ
omy has reached a postindustrial level of development and its service sector con
stitutes 67.8% of GDP, the United States remains an industrial power.[350] The l
eading business field by gross business receipts is wholesale and retail trade;
by net income it is manufacturing.[351]
Chemical products are the leading manufacturing field.[352] The United States is
the third largest producer of oil in the world, as well as its largest importer
.[353] It is the world's number one producer of electrical and nuclear energy, a
s well as liquid natural gas, sulfur, phosphates, and salt. While agriculture ac
counts for just under 1% of GDP,[350] the United States is the world's top produ
cer of corn[354] and soybeans.[355] The National Agricultural Statistics Service
maintains agricultural statistics[dead link] for products that include peanuts,
oats, rye, wheat, rice, cotton, corn, barley, hay, sunflowers, and oilseeds. In
addition, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) provides livestock
statistics regarding beef, poultry, pork, and dairy products. The National Mini
ng Association provides data pertaining to coal and minerals that include beryll
ium, copper, lead, magnesium, zinc, titanium and others.[356][357] In the franch
ising business model, McDonald's and Subway are the two most recognized brands i
n the world. Coca-Cola is the most recognized soft drink company in the world.[3
58]
Consumer spending comprises 71% of the U.S. economy in 2013.[359] In August 2010
, the American labor force consisted of 154.1 million people. With 21.2 million
people, government is the leading field of employment. The largest private emplo
yment sector is health care and social assistance, with 16.4 million people. Abo
ut 12% of workers are unionized, compared to 30% in Western Europe.[360] The Wor

ld Bank ranks the United States first in the ease of hiring and firing workers.[
361] The United States is the only advanced economy that does not guarantee its
workers paid vacation[362] and is one of just a few countries in the world witho
ut paid family leave as a legal right, with the others being Papua New Guinea, S
uriname and Liberia.[363] In 2009, the United States had the third highest labor
productivity per person in the world, behind Luxembourg and Norway. It was four
th in productivity per hour, behind those two countries and the Netherlands.[364
]
The 2008-2012 global recession had a significant impact on the United States, wi
th output still below potential according to the Congressional Budget Office.[36
5] It brought high unemployment (which has been decreasing but remains above pre
-recession levels), along with low consumer confidence, the continuing decline i
n home values and increase in foreclosures and personal bankruptcies, an escalat
ing federal debt crisis, inflation, and rising petroleum and food prices. There
remains a record proportion of long-term unemployed, continued decreasing househ
old income, and tax and federal budget increases.[366][367][368] A 2011 poll fou
nd that more than half of all Americans think the U.S. is still in recession or
even depression, despite official data that shows a historically modest recovery
.[369] In 2013 the Census Bureau defined poverty rate decreased to roughly 14.5%
of the population.[370]
Income, poverty and wealth
Productivity and real median family income growth 1947 2009
A tract housing development in San Jose, California
Further information: Income in the United States, Poverty in the United States a
nd Affluence in the United States
Americans have the highest average household and employee income among OECD nati
ons, and in 2007 had the second highest median household income.[371][372] Accor
ding to the Census Bureau real median household income was $50,502 in 2011, down
from $51,144 in 2010.[373] The Global Food Security Index ranked the U.S. numbe
r one for food affordability and overall food security in March 2013.[374] Ameri
cans on average have over twice as much living space per dwelling and per person
as European Union residents, and more than every EU nation.[375] For 2013 the U
nited Nations Development Programme ranked the United States 5th among 187 count
ries in its Human Development Index and 28th in its inequality-adjusted HDI (IHD
I).[376]
There has been a widening gap between productivity and median incomes since the
1970s.[377] While inflation-adjusted ("real") household income had been increasi
ng almost every year from 1947 to 1999, it has since been flat and even decrease
d recently.[378] The rise in the share of total annual income received by the to
p 1 percent, which has more than doubled from 9 percent in 1976 to 20 percent in
2011, has had a significant impact on income inequality,[379] leaving the Unite
d States with one of the widest income distributions among OECD nations.[380][38
1][382] The post-recession income gains have been very uneven, with the top 1 pe
rcent capturing 95 percent of the income gains from 2009 to 2012.[383]
Wealth, like income and taxes, is highly concentrated; the richest 10% of the ad
ult population possess 72% of the country's household wealth, while the bottom h
alf claim only 2%.[384] This is the second-highest share among developed nations
.[385] Between June 2007 and November 2008 the global recession led to falling a
sset prices around the world. Assets owned by Americans lost about a quarter of
their value.[386] Since peaking in the second quarter of 2007, household wealth
is down $14 trillion.[387] At the end of 2008, household debt amounted to $13.8
trillion.[388]
There were about 643,000 sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons in the U.S.
in January 2009, with almost two-thirds staying in an emergency shelter or trans
itional housing program. In 2011 16.7 million children lived in food-insecure ho

useholds, about 35% more than 2007 levels, though only 1.1% of U.S. children, or
845,000, saw reduced food intake or disrupted eating patterns at some point dur
ing the year, and most cases were not chronic.[389]
Infrastructure
Transportation
Main article: Transportation in the United States
The Interstate Highway System, which extends 46,876 miles (75,440 km)[390]
Personal transportation is dominated by automobiles, which operate on a network
of 13 million roads, including one of the world's longest highway systems.[391]
The world's second largest automobile market,[392] the United States has the hig
hest rate of per-capita vehicle ownership in the world, with 765 vehicles per 1,
000 Americans.[393] About 40% of personal vehicles are vans, SUVs, or light truc
ks.[394] The average American adult (accounting for all drivers and non-drivers)
spends 55 minutes driving every day, traveling 29 miles (47 km).[395]
Mass transit accounts for 9% of total U.S. work trips.[396][397] While transport
of goods by rail is extensive, relatively few people use rail to travel,[398] t
hough ridership on Amtrak, the national intercity passenger rail system, grew by
almost 37% between 2000 and 2010.[399] Also, light rail development has increas
ed in recent years.[400] Bicycle usage for work commutes is minimal.[401]
The civil airline industry is entirely privately owned and has been largely dere
gulated since 1978, while most major airports are publicly owned. The three larg
est airlines in the world by passengers carried are U.S.-based; American Airline
s is number one after its 2013 acquisition of US Airways.[402] Of the world's 30
busiest passenger airports, 12 are in the United States, including the busiest,
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.[403]
Energy
The Hoover Dam when completed in 1936 was both the world's largest electric-powe
r generating station and the world's largest concrete structure.
See also: Energy policy of the United States
The United States energy market is 29,000 terawatt hours per year. Energy consum
ption per capita is 7.8 tons of oil equivalent per year, the 10th highest rate i
n the world. In 2005, 40% of this energy came from petroleum, 23% from coal, and
22% from natural gas. The remainder was supplied by nuclear power and renewable
energy sources.[404] The United States is the world's largest consumer of petro
leum.[405]
For decades, nuclear power has played a limited role relative to many other deve
loped countries, in part because of public perception in the wake of a 1979 acci
dent. In 2007, several applications for new nuclear plants were filed.[406] The
United States has 27% of global coal reserves.[407] It is the world's largest pr
oducer of natural gas and crude oil.[408]
Science and technology
Main article: Science and technology in the United States
See also: Technological and industrial history of the United States
Astronaut James Irwin walking on the Moon next to Apollo 15's landing module and
lunar rover in 1971. The effort to reach the Moon was triggered by the Space Ra
ce.
The United States has been a leader in scientific research and technological inn
ovation since the late 19th century. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was awarded
the first U.S. patent for the telephone. Thomas Edison's laboratory developed th
e phonograph, the first long-lasting light bulb, and the first viable movie came
ra.[409] In the early 20th century, the automobile companies of Ransom E. Olds a
nd Henry Ford popularized the assembly line. The Wright brothers, in 1903, made
the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.[410]

The rise of Nazism in the 1930s led many European scientists, including Albert E
instein, Enrico Fermi, and John von Neumann, to immigrate to the United States.[
411] During World War II, the Manhattan Project developed nuclear weapons, usher
ing in the Atomic Age, while the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory pioneered th
e advancement of jet-assisted takeoff. The Space Race produced rapid advances in
rocketry, materials science, and computers.[412] Advancements by American micro
processor companies such as Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), and Intel along with b
oth computer software and hardware companies that include Sun Microsystems, IBM,
GNU-Linux, Apple Computer, and Microsoft refined and popularized the personal c
omputer.[413]
The ARPANET was developed in the 1960s to meet Defense Department requirements,
and became the first of a series of networks which evolved into the Internet. To
day, 64% of research and development funding comes from the private sector.[414]
The United States leads the world in scientific research papers and impact fact
or.[415] As of April 2010, 77% of American households owned at least one compute
r, and 68% had broadband Internet service.[416] 85% of Americans also own a mobi
le phone as of 2011.[417] The country is the primary developer and grower of gen
etically modified food, representing half of the world's biotech crops.[418]
Education
Main article: Education in the United States
See also: Educational attainment in the United States and Higher education in th
e United States
The University of Virginia, founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819, is one of the m
any public universities in the United States.
American public education is operated by state and local governments, regulated
by the United States Department of Education through restrictions on federal gra
nts. In most states, children are required to attend school from the age of six
or seven (generally, kindergarten or first grade) until they turn 18 (generally
bringing them through twelfth grade, the end of high school); some states allow
students to leave school at 16 or 17.[419] About 12% of children are enrolled in
parochial or nonsectarian private schools. Just over 2% of children are homesch
ooled.[420] The U.S. spends more on education per student than any nation in the
world, spending more than $11,000 per elementary student in 2010 and more than
$12,000 per high school student.[421] Some 80% of U.S. college students attend p
ublic universities.[422]
The United States has many competitive private and public institutions of higher
education. According to prominent international rankings, 13 or 15 American col
leges and universities are ranked among the top 20 in the world.[423][424] There
are also local community colleges with generally more open admission policies,
shorter academic programs, and lower tuition. Of Americans 25 and older, 84.6% g
raduated from high school, 52.6% attended some college, 27.2% earned a bachelor'
s degree, and 9.6% earned graduate degrees.[425] The basic literacy rate is appr
oximately 99%.[149][426] The United Nations assigns the United States an Educati
on Index of 0.97, tying it for 12th in the world.[427]
As for public expenditures on higher education, the U.S. trails some other OECD
nations but spends more per student than the OECD average, and more than all nat
ions in combined public and private spending.[421][428] As of 2012, student loan
debt exceeded one trillion dollars, more than Americans owe on credit cards.[42
9]
Health
See also: Health care in the United States, Health care reform in the United Sta
tes and Health insurance in the United States
The United States has a life expectancy of 78.4 years at birth, up from 75.2 yea
rs in 1990, ranking it 50th among 221 nations, and 27th out of the 34 industrial
ized OECD countries, down from 20th in 1990.[430][431] Increasing obesity in the

United States and health improvements elsewhere have contributed to lowering th
e country's rank in life expectancy from 1987, when it was 11th in the world.[43
2] Obesity rates in the United States are among the highest in the world.[433] A
pproximately one-third of the adult population is obese and an additional third
is overweight;[434] the obesity rate, the highest in the industrialized world, h
as more than doubled in the last quarter-century.[435] Obesity-related type 2 di
abetes is considered epidemic by health care professionals.[436] The infant mort
ality rate of 6.17 per thousand places the United States 169th highest out of 22
4 countries.[437]
In 2010, coronary artery disease, lung cancer, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmo
nary diseases, and traffic accidents caused the most years of life lost in the U
.S. Low back pain, depression, musculoskeletal disorders, neck pain, and anxiety
caused the most years lost to disability. The most deleterious risk factors wer
e poor diet, tobacco smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, ph
ysical inactivity, and alcohol use. Alzheimer's disease, drug abuse, kidney dise
ase and cancer, and falls caused the most additional years of life lost over the
ir age-adjusted 1990 per-capita rates.[431] U.S. teenage pregnancy and abortion
rates are substantially higher than in other Western nations.
The U.S. is a global leader in medical innovation. America solely developed or c
ontributed significantly to 9 of the top 10 most important medical innovations s
ince 1975 as ranked by a 2001 poll of physicians, while the EU and Switzerland t
ogether contributed to five. Since 1966, Americans have received more Nobel Priz
es in Medicine than the rest of the world. From 1989 to 2002, four times more mo
ney was invested in private biotechnology companies in America than in Europe.[4
38][439] The U.S. health-care system far outspends any other nation, measured in
both per capita spending and percentage of GDP.[440] Health-care coverage in th
e United States is a combination of public and private efforts and is not univer
sal. In 2010, 49.9 million residents or 16.3% of the population did not carry he
alth insurance. The subject of uninsured and underinsured Americans is a major p
olitical issue.[441][442] In 2006, Massachusetts became the first state to manda
te universal health insurance.[443] Federal legislation passed in early 2010 wou
ld ostensibly create a near-universal health insurance system around the country
by 2014, though the bill and its ultimate impact are issues of controversy.[444
][445]
Culture
Main article: Culture of the United States
See also: Native American cultures in the United States, Social class in the Uni
ted States, Public holidays in the United States and Tourism in the United State
s
The United States is home to many cultures and a wide variety of ethnic groups,
traditions, and values.[19][446] Aside from the relatively small Native American
and Native Hawaiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors settle
d or immigrated within the past five centuries.[447] Mainstream American culture
is a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of European immigrants
with influences from many other sources, such as traditions brought by slaves f
rom Africa.[19][448] More recent immigration from Asia and especially Latin Amer
ica has added to a cultural mix that has been described as both a homogenizing m
elting pot, and a heterogeneous salad bowl in which immigrants and their descend
ants retain distinctive cultural characteristics.[19]
Core American culture was established by Protestant British colonists and shaped
by the frontier settlement process, with the traits derived passed down to desc
endants and transmitted to immigrants through assimilation. Americans have tradi
tionally been characterized by a strong work ethic, competitiveness, and individ
ualism, as well as a unifying belief in an "American creed" emphasizing liberty,
equality, private property, democracy, rule of law, and a preference for limite
d government.[449] Americans are extremely charitable by global standards. Accor

ding to a 2006 British study, Americans gave 1.67% of GDP to charity, more than
any other nation studied, more than twice the second place British figure of 0.7
3%, and around twelve times the French figure of 0.14%.[450][451]
The American Dream, or the perception that Americans enjoy high social mobility,
plays a key role in attracting immigrants.[452] Whether this perception is real
istic has been a topic of debate.[453][454][455][456][340][457] While mainstream
culture holds that the United States is a classless society,[458] scholars iden
tify significant differences between the country's social classes, affecting soc
ialization, language, and values.[459] Americans' self-images, social viewpoints
, and cultural expectations are associated with their occupations to an unusuall
y close degree.[460] While Americans tend greatly to value socioeconomic achieve
ment, being ordinary or average is generally seen as a positive attribute.[461]
Mass media
Main articles: Media of the United States and Television in the United States
The four major broadcasters in the U.S. are the National Broadcasting Company (N
BC), Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), the American Broadcasting Company (ABC)
and Fox. Americans are the heaviest television viewers in the world,[462] and t
he average viewing time continues to rise, reaching five hours a day in 2006.[46
3] The four major broadcast television networks are all commercial entities. Ame
ricans listen to radio programming, also largely commercial, on average just ove
r two-and-a-half hours a day.[464]
In 1998, the number of U.S. commercial radio stations had grown to 4,793 AM stat
ions and 5,662 FM stations. In addition, there are 1,460 public radio stations.
Most of these stations are run by universities and public authorities for educat
ional purposes and are financed by public and/or private funds, subscriptions an
d corporate underwriting. Much public-radio broadcasting is supplied by NPR (for
merly National Public Radio). NPR was incorporated in February 1970 under the Pu
blic Broadcasting Act of 1967; its television counterpart, PBS, was also created
by the same legislation. (NPR and PBS are operated separately from each other.)
Aside from web portals and search engines, the most popular websites are Faceboo
k, YouTube, Wikipedia, Amazon, eBay, and Twitter.[465]
Well-known newspapers are The New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Jour
nal. Although the cost of publishing has increased over the years, the price of
newspapers has generally remained low, forcing newspapers to rely more on advert
ising revenue and on articles provided by a major wire service, such as the Asso
ciated Press or Reuters, for their national and world coverage. With very few ex
ceptions, all the newspapers in the U.S. are privately owned, either by large ch
ains such as Gannett or McClatchy, which own dozens or even hundreds of newspape
rs; by small chains that own a handful of papers; or in a situation that is incr
easingly rare, by individuals or families. Major cities often have "alternative
weeklies" to complement the mainstream daily paper(s), for example, New York Cit
y's Village Voice or Los Angeles' L.A. Weekly, to name two of the best-known. Ma
jor cities may also support a local business journal, trade papers relating to l
ocal industries, and papers for local ethnic and social groups.
In Spanish, the second most widely spoken mother tongue behind English, more tha
n 800 publications are published.[466][467]
Cinema
Main article: Cinema of the United States
The Hollywood Sign in Los Angeles, California
The world's first commercial motion picture exhibition was given in New York Cit
y in 1894, using Thomas Edison's Kinetoscope. The next year saw the first commer
cial screening of a projected film, also in New York, and the United States was
in the forefront of sound film's development in the following decades. Since the

early 20th century, the U.S. film industry has largely been based in and around
Hollywood, California.
Director D. W. Griffith was central to the development of film grammar and Orson
Welles's Citizen Kane (1941) is frequently cited as the greatest film of all ti
me.[468][469] American screen actors like John Wayne and Marilyn Monroe have bec
ome iconic figures, while producer/entrepreneur Walt Disney was a leader in both
animated film and movie merchandising. Hollywood is also one of the leaders in
motion picture production.[470]
Comics
Early versions of the American newspaper comic strip and the American comic book
began appearing in the 19th century. In 1938, Superman, the quintessential comi
c book superhero of DC Comics, developed into an American icon.[471] Additional
comic book publishers include; Marvel Comics, created in 1939, Image Comics, cre
ated in 1992, Dark Horse Comics, created in 1986, and numerous small press comic
book companies. In celebration of the industry's success, annual comic conventi
ons take place at The San Diego Comic-Con International, which has an attendance
of over 130,000 visitors.
Music
Main article: Music of the United States
The rhythmic and lyrical styles of African-American music have deeply influenced
American music at large, distinguishing it from European traditions. Elements f
rom folk idioms such as the blues and what is now known as old-time music were a
dopted and transformed into popular genres with global audiences. Jazz was devel
oped by innovators such as Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington early in the 20th
century. Country music developed in the 1920s, and rhythm and blues in the 1940s
.[472]
Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry were among the mid-1950s pioneers of rock and roll
. In the 1960s, Bob Dylan emerged from the folk revival to become one of America
's most celebrated songwriters and James Brown led the development of funk. More
recent American creations include hip hop and house music. American pop stars s
uch as Presley, Michael Jackson, and Madonna have become global celebrities.[472
]
Literature, philosophy, and the arts
Main articles: American literature, American philosophy, Visual art of the Unite
d States and American classical music
Mark Twain, American author and humorist
In the 18th and early 19th centuries, American art and literature took most of i
ts cues from Europe. Writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, and H
enry David Thoreau established a distinctive American literary voice by the midd
le of the 19th century. Mark Twain and poet Walt Whitman were major figures in t
he century's second half; Emily Dickinson, virtually unknown during her lifetime
, is now recognized as an essential American poet.[473] A work seen as capturing
fundamental aspects of the national experience and character such as Herman Melvi
lle's Moby-Dick (1851), Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), and F
. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby (1925) may be dubbed the "Great American Nov
el".[474]
Eleven U.S. citizens have won the Nobel Prize in Literature, most recently Toni
Morrison in 1993. William Faulkner and Ernest Hemingway are often named among th
e most influential writers of the 20th century.[475] Popular literary genres suc
h as the Western and hardboiled crime fiction developed in the United States. Th
e Beat Generation writers opened up new literary approaches, as have postmoderni
st authors such as John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, and Don DeLillo.
The transcendentalists, led by Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson, established the

first major American philosophical movement. After the Civil War, Charles Sander
s Peirce and then William James and John Dewey were leaders in the development o
f pragmatism. In the 20th century, the work of W. V. O. Quine and Richard Rorty,
and later Noam Chomsky, brought analytic philosophy to the fore of American phi
losophical academia. John Rawls and Robert Nozick led a revival of political phi
losophy. Cornel West and Judith Butler have led a continental tradition in Ameri
can philosophical academia. Globally influential Chicago school economists like
Milton Friedman, James M. Buchanan, and Thomas Sowell have transcended disciplin
e to impact various fields in social and political philosophy.[476][477]
In the visual arts, the Hudson River School was a mid-19th-century movement in t
he tradition of European naturalism. The realist paintings of Thomas Eakins are
now widely celebrated. The 1913 Armory Show in New York City, an exhibition of E
uropean modernist art, shocked the public and transformed the U.S. art scene.[47
8] Georgia O'Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, and others experimented with new, individu
alistic styles. Major artistic movements such as the abstract expressionism of J
ackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning and the pop art of Andy Warhol and Roy Lich
tenstein developed largely in the United States. The tide of modernism and then
postmodernism has brought fame to American architects such as Frank Lloyd Wright
, Philip Johnson, and Frank Gehry.
Times Square in New York City, the hub of the Broadway theater district
One of the first major promoters of American theater was impresario P. T. Barnum
, who began operating a lower Manhattan entertainment complex in 1841. The team
of Harrigan and Hart produced a series of popular musical comedies in New York s
tarting in the late 1870s. In the 20th century, the modern musical form emerged
on Broadway; the songs of musical theater composers such as Irving Berlin, Cole
Porter, and Stephen Sondheim have become pop standards. Playwright Eugene O'Neil
l won the Nobel literature prize in 1936; other acclaimed U.S. dramatists includ
e multiple Pulitzer Prize winners Tennessee Williams, Edward Albee, and August W
ilson.
Though little known at the time, Charles Ives's work of the 1910s established hi
m as the first major U.S. composer in the classical tradition, while experimenta
lists such as Henry Cowell and John Cage created a distinctive American approach
to classical composition. Aaron Copland and George Gershwin developed a new syn
thesis of popular and classical music. Choreographers Isadora Duncan and Martha
Graham helped create modern dance, while George Balanchine and Jerome Robbins we
re leaders in 20th-century ballet. Americans have long been important in the mod
ern artistic medium of photography, with major photographers including Alfred St
ieglitz, Edward Steichen, and Ansel Adams.
Food
Main article: Cuisine of the United States
Apple pie is a food synonymous with American culture.
Mainstream American cuisine is similar to that in other Western countries. Wheat
is the primary cereal grain. Traditional American cuisine uses indigenous ingre
dients, such as turkey, venison, potatoes, sweet potatoes, corn, squash, and map
le syrup, which were consumed by Native Americans and early European settlers.[4
79]
Slow-cooked pork and beef barbecue, crab cakes, potato chips, and chocolate chip
cookies are distinctively American foods. Soul food, developed by African slave
s, is popular around the South and among many African Americans elsewhere. Syncr
etic cuisines such as Louisiana Creole, Cajun, and Tex-Mex are regionally import
ant. The confectionery industry in the United States includes The Hershey Compan
y, the largest chocolate manufacturer in North America. In addition, Frito-Lay,
a subsidiary of PepsiCo, is the largest globally distributed snack food company
in the world. The United States has a vast breakfast cereal industry that includ
es brands such as Kellogg's and General Mills.

Characteristic dishes such as apple pie, fried chicken, pizza, hamburgers, and h
ot dogs derive from the recipes of various immigrants. French fries, Mexican dis
hes such as burritos and tacos, and pasta dishes freely adapted from Italian sou
rces are widely consumed.[480] Americans generally prefer coffee to tea. Marketi
ng by U.S. industries is largely responsible for making orange juice and milk ub
iquitous breakfast beverages.[481][482]
The American fast food industry, the world's largest, pioneered the drive-throug
h format in the 1930s. Fast food consumption has sparked health concerns. During
the 1980s and 1990s, Americans' caloric intake rose 24%;[480] frequent dining a
t fast food outlets is associated with what public health officials call the Ame
rican "obesity epidemic".[483] Highly sweetened soft drinks are widely popular,
and sugared beverages account for nine percent of American caloric intake.[484]
Sports
Main article: Sports in the United States
Swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time.
While most major U.S. sports have evolved out of European practices, basketball,
volleyball, skateboarding, and snowboarding are American inventions, some of wh
ich have become popular in other countries. Lacrosse and surfing arose from Nati
ve American and Native Hawaiian activities that predate Western contact.[485] Th
e Iroquois field their own separate national team, the Iroquois Nationals, in re
cognition of the confederacy's creation of lacrosse. Eight Olympic Games have ta
ken place in the United States. The United States has won 2,400 medals at the Su
mmer Olympic Games, more than any other country, and 281 in the Winter Olympic G
ames, the second most behind Norway.[486]
The market for professional sports in the United States is roughly $69 billion,
roughly 50% larger than that of all of Europe, the Middle East, and Africa combi
ned.[487] Baseball has been regarded as the national sport since the late 19th c
entury, while American football is now by several measures the most popular spec
tator sport.[488] Basketball and ice hockey are the country's next two leading p
rofessional team sports. These four major sports, when played professionally, ea
ch occupy a season at different, but overlapping, times of the year. College foo
tball and basketball attract large audiences.[489] Boxing and horse racing were
once the most watched individual sports,[490] but they have been eclipsed by gol
f and auto racing, particularly NASCAR.[491] In the 21st century, televised mixe
d martial arts has also gained a strong following of regular viewers.[492][493]
While soccer is less popular in the United States than in many other nations, th
e country hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the men's national soccer team has bee
n to the past six World Cups and the women are first in the women's world rankin
gs.
See also
Portal icon
United States portal
Portal icon
North America portal
Fauna of the United States
Index of United States-related articles
Outline of the United States
List of states and territories of the United States
List of metropolitan areas of the United States
List of United States cities by population
List of official United States national symbols
Immigration to the United States
United States
Wikipedia book
Notes
Beginning between 1945, 1954, 1962 (depending on different sources) and endi

ng in the mid-1970s. Several start dates of the war are given by different sourc
es: 1945,[116] 1954,[117] 1959,[118] and 1962;[119] the end date is also debated
. Major U.S. involvement stopped in 1973,[120] yet most recognize the end of the
Second Indochina War as when the Republic of Vietnam was toppled in 1975.[121]
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